From Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia
-
Adolescent sexuality refers to
sexual feelings,
behavior and development in
adolescents and is a stage of human sexuality.
Sexuality "is a vital aspect of teens' lives"[1]
The sexual behavior of adolescents is influenced by
their culture's
norms and
mores, their
sexual preference, and the issues of
social control such as
age of consent laws.
Overview
In humans, mature sexual desire
usually begins to appear with the onset of
puberty. Sexual expression can take the form of
masturbation or sex with a partner.
Sexual preferences among adolescents, like adults,
can vary greatly from
heterosexuality, to
homosexuality, to
monosexuality, to
sexual fetishism, or even
asexuality. Sexual activity generally is associated
with a number of risks, including
sexually transmitted diseases (including
HIV/AIDS)
and pregnancy through failure or non-use of
birth control. Particularly for adolescents, who are
not emotionally mature,[2]
there are added risks of emotional distress or future
poverty from
teenage pregnancy.
Sex
education
-
Sex education is a broad term
used to describe
education about human
sexual anatomy,
sexual reproduction,
sexual intercourse, and other aspects of
human sexual behavior. Common avenues for sex
education are parents or caregivers, school programs,
and public health campaigns.
Sexual education in different
countries vary. For example, in
France sex education has been part of school
curricula since 1973. Schools are expected to provide 30
to 40 hours of sex education, and pass out condoms to
students in grades eight and nine. In January, 2000, the
French government launched an information campaign on
contraception with TV and radio spots and the
distribution of five million leaflets on contraception
to high school students.[citation
needed]
In
Britain and the
United States there has been a significant amount of
controversy over what should and should not be taught by
schools and other venues. In the United States the
Bush administration has backed
abstinence-only sexual education which makes up a
large part of what is taught in United States schools.[citation
needed]
In Asia the state of sex education
programs are at various stages of development.
Indonesia,
Mongolia,
South Korea and
Sri Lanka have a systematic policy framework for
teaching about sex within schools.
Malaysia, the
Philippines and
Thailand have assessed adolescent reproductive
health needs with a view to developing
adolescent-specific training, messages and materials.
India has programs that specifically aims at school
children at the age group of nine to sixteen years.
These are included as subjects in the curriculum and
generally involves open and frank interaction with the
teachers.
Bangladesh,
Myanmar,
Nepal and
Pakistan have no coordinated sex education programs.[3]
Legal
aspects of adolescent sexual activity
-
Many countries have an
age of consent, the minimum age at which a person is
considered to be capable of legally giving
informed consent to any kind of sexual behavior. The
legal of consent has varied from being age 13 in Japan,
age 14 across Canada, and age 16-18 in many states in
the United States. In some jurisdictions, the age of
consent for homosexual acts may be different from that
for heterosexual acts. The age of consent in a
particular jurisdiction is typically the same as the
age of majority or several years younger. The age at
which one can legally marry is also sometimes different
from the legal age of consent.
Sexual relations with a person under
the age of consent are generally a
criminal offense in the jurisdiction in which the
crime was committed, with punishments ranging from token
fines to life imprisonment. Many different terms exist
for the charges laid and include
statutory rape, illegal
carnal knowledge, or corruption of a minor. In some
cases, sexual activity with someone above the legal age
of consent but beneath the age of majority can be
punishable under laws against contributing to the
delinquency of a
minor
